Island Oyster — Restaurant in New York

A couple of friends and I went to celebrate Labor Day Weekend and the gorgeous weather. Having dined here during previous summers, this would have been idyllic, but the experience was terrible. Granted the popularity that day, I expected the service to be slowed down, but the waiter seemed overwhelmed or had other things on his mind. Every time we tried waving him down, he'd pass us when we wanted to order, when we wanted napkins and utensils after our food arrived, and when we wanted our check. Not only was service slower than Island-style, there was a charge for tap water, which on the bill is "still" water, even though it wasn't a new bottle as I watched the reusable bottles filled from the faucet. If that's the water service, then that should have been expressed.

As for the drinks and oysters, the drinks were 3/4 ice and we weren't allowed to see the ingredients in the coconut milk. Hello? People have food allergies! The oysters were fine, but I've had cleaner ones. These were shucked carelessly and so many bits of shell were on them. I felt like I had to wash each one in the "still" expensive tap water. We would have ordered more food, if we weren't having a bad experience.

When the bill finally came, we had only ordered a dozen oysters, 2 alcoholic drinks, and a lemonade. Somehow the "subtotal" listed this as $81.25, even though adding all the items actually listed came to $67.50. Where's the mysterious $13.75 coming from? On top of the $81.25 was tax and tip, which was split among the three of us; yet, none of us was charged the same amount. Only one of us was asked for a tip amount while for the rest of us, the tip was automatic. Why couldn't we choose? Then the waiter waited and watched us as we reviewed his service on his machine that charged our cards, before printing receipts.

It's not so much the money that bothers us, but the shadiness of how the business is run. If you care about your business, then your business takes care of you, and continues to bring friends for more drinks and food. I won't be revisiting or recommending this place to friends or other visitors....

Missed opportunity due to poor management. After a perfect day on Governor’s Island you wouldn’t have to do much to make this beautifully situated and freshly designed venue become a perfect way to close your visit. Sadly the experience missed an easy mark.

Checking in at a little before 8pm on a Saturday at an empty host station we ask for a table but we were told that there were no waiters to wait on tables. We were advised to sit at the crowded bar. We later noticed that waiters were still serving tables and some patrons were just seating themselves. When we final found a seat at the end of the bar, we were ignored for quite a while. When we finally got the bartenders attention we ordered a tray of oysters and a side of fries and went with sparkling wine since they only carried a speed rack vodka. The Prosecco was pleasant enough although it was served in a cocktail glass. That quaint for table wine but very wrong for sparkling wine. The place setting we received had a dirty knife which we sent back through our rather peevish bartender. No apologies offered. Just a roll of the eyes.

Our oysters came about 20 mins after the fries and at this point leaving us a little to close to the last ferry departure. No apology or courtesy from the bartender was offered once again.

As we checked out on the electronic tab (credit card only/no cash) the bartender had apparently auto checked the highest tip percentage, which under any circumstance would have been acceptable. Sadly we felt the need to bring it back down to represent the service.

I’m afraid with service like this with no attention to detail I suggest saving your money and packing your own dinner and wine, at least until the owner reigns in the...

Great spot to enjoy fresh seaside oysters, nicely seasoned food and tasty tropical drinks w/a beautiful view of lower Manhattan skyline!

Ambiance: Located directly to your right once you hop off the ferry to Gov Island. Aside from the fantastic views (from any angle really during the day and especially during sunset), you're literally sitting right by the water and the spacious outdoor restaurant itself resembles that of a boat w/some shaded areas. This spot usually has 2 or 3 bartenders/servers at a time and it gets busy, so you might have to flag down a sever occasionally.

Food: I've only tried their fried shrimp, seasoned fries (which come w/some tasty aioli dip and spicy ketchup) and of course, the oysters! Full disclosure: the oysters for are 24 for a half dozen so yes, it's pricy and the drinks range from $17-$20. Expect to pay Manhattan prices BUT you are getting a good quality meal, fresh seafood and drinks that will have you feeling like you're on vacation. Trust me.

Drinks: Like I mentioned above - the cocktails will have you feeling like you're laid out by the pool at that resort you love. I had the 'Permanent Vacation' (Jamaican rum, 3-year and 5-year cask-aged Demerara rum, blue Curaçao, coconut, pineapple, cherry) and my boyfriend got the 'I'm the Captain Now' (single-barrel rye whiskey, Aperol, pineapple, lemon) - both tasted great and weren't so strong that we left sloppy.

Overall: Great spot for big and small groups of friends or family, a date spot or just a place to treat yourself and enjoy the...